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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — of ice
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com